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The present invention relates to a method and system for enhancing safety at a construction site, and more particularly to a system for hindering inadvertent passage through a wall opening.
Part of the process of constructing buildings includes the creation or definition of spaces that will become doors and windows in what are otherwise substantially solid walls. However, as the doors and windows themselves can be relatively expensive and easily damaged during active construction, the doors, windows, and elevators are often installed after much construction work has been accomplished. Further, as the door and window openings are often a primary passageway for introduction of building supplies, it is desired, if not imperative to have the largest possible, unimpeded openings.
In low, one level buildings, unobstructed wall openings present little danger. However, as a building increases in height to two or more levels, the danger associated with unobstructed or guarded wall openings increases. Specifically, if a construction worker falls from the building due to accidental passage through a wall opening, there is a high likelihood of injury or death.
In recognition of the serious danger related to falling from such openings, the United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires that an obstruction be placed in wall openings at a height of 42 inches, plus or minus three inches, so as to withstand 200 pounds falling into it in an xe2x80x9coutwardxe2x80x9d and/or xe2x80x9cdownwardxe2x80x9d direction. The OSHA requirements are set forth in detail in 29 CFR 1926.502. In practice, these obstructions are pieces of wood, such as xe2x80x9c2xc3x974""sxe2x80x9d that are nailed to the wall on opposite sides of the opening. However, as described above, the wall openings are primary passages for building materials to and from buildings. Thus, the obstructions must be removed to allow passage and replaced following passage. The obstructions must also be removed when furring strips are installed on the walls.
It has been discovered that boards that are nailed into a wall so as to be easily removed, do not provide adequate resistance to falling forces. However, when a board is repeatedly, securely nailed to a wall, the wall can become severely damaged. Further, it has been discovered that because of the tedium in ripping a board from a wall and renailing it each time equipment or material pass through an opening being protected, that the opening is often left unguarded in contravention to OSHA guidelines.
It would therefore be desirable to provide a system for blocking a wall opening in accordance with OSHA guidelines that is so easy to use that it actually will be used.
The present invention advantageously provides a method and system for enhancing safety at a construction site, and more particularly to a system for hindering inadvertent passage through a wall opening.
In an exemplary embodiment, a wall opening fall protection support system includes a pair of brackets, each bracket of the pair having a mounting portion, a support portion and a retaining portion; and a rail, wherein the rail is securable to each bracket by the retaining portion. More particularly the system can include a pair of brackets, each bracket of the pair having a substantially planar mounting portion, a support portion, a retaining portion including a locking element, and a standoff element wherein the retaining portion is resiliently joined to the support portion; and a rail, wherein the rail is securable to each bracket by the retaining portion so as to be at least partially surrounded by the support portion, the retaining portion and the standoff element.